


Marked

by GachMoBrea



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: "Marks", ??? - Freeform, AU, Abuse of Destiny, Alternate Universe, Blurb, Blurp, Destiny, Gen, I have no idea, Mostly Canon Compliant?, NOT Soulmate, One-Shot, Open Ending, Snippets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-04
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-07-29 05:47:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7672459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GachMoBrea/pseuds/GachMoBrea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fact #1: People need people. <br/>Fact #2: Two people who were destined to help each other were "Marked".<br/>Everyone assumed the universe was just trying to make it easier for the more oblivious people...<br/>...Those people didn't wake up with superpowers or rip a hole in the multiverse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Marked

There were those born with Marks that clued them in to who would need them in their lifetime. (And, of course, there were those who were never Marked.)   
Then there were those whose Marks developed after contact with the person they were 'destined' to help.  
It was almost always a name (usually the person who they'd help) or a word (the 'thing' or 'event' or whatever that they were going to help with)... On a few rare occasions, it was a picture. (Those were the most difficult to decipher.)

 

When Barry Allen woke up from his coma everything was different.   
Some things were cool. He had super speed. He had abs! He wasn't dead.  
Some things were less cool. His crush had a boyfriend. He had to learn how to use his powers correctly.  
And instead of getting just one Mark, he was being covered in Marks.

-

Years after waking from his coma, after solidifying himself in Central City as their hero: The Flash... Barry stands in his bathroom alone and looks at his shirtless self.  
There are so many names.   
Cisco's, Caitlin's, Eddie's, Joe's, and his father's name were in different colors wrapping around his left arm like ivy on old brick houses. He used to think it odd that Dr. Wells' name wasn't there, then he discovered who faux-Wells really was and he was glad he didn't have the murderer's name permanently on his body.  
Iris's name rests just over his heart in vibrant red. He touches it in an attempt at comfort from all of the hate for the scientist he used to think of as a mentor.  
Oliver and Felicity's names were on his back in green, ironically where the archer had hit him with the arrows when he was 'training' him.   
Hartley Rathaway's name was on his side in faded grey letters. They had appeared in that color, so Barry wasn't sure if it was because he had helped the Pied Piper, or if he was going to in the future.   
On the inner part of his right bicep was an "S" inside a five-pointed, upside down triangle. He often wondered what the significance of the shape would be and who it applied to.  
Then there was a single blue blob on the inside of his right wrist that made absolutely no sense to the speedster. He had researched, as best he could, on the significance of a 'blue blob' but the internet wasn't very helpful. It kept sending him to a black and white horror film. 

Sighing, Barry puts his shirt back on. There was so much work to do. So many bad people to stop. The Flash was a busy hero.

-

When Eddie gets taken, the names on Barry's chest and arm feel like they're burning. The speedster runs throughout the city, but he can't find his friend and it tears at his heart with every step.  
Then NOT-Wells starts back up the particle accelerator and they get Eddie back but they've got to get the Metas out of prison in order to save them.

Desperate and knowing full well it's a BAD idea, Barry goes to Leonard Snart for help.

"...I'm not gonna help usher your enemies out of town."   
Anger floods Barry's veins as the icy criminal starts to pass him. His hand grabs for the other man's arm, intending to stop him, argument already on the tip of his tongue to get the other man to listen-  
-But Barry catches Snart by the wrist instead and he bites back a shout of pain as the inside of his right wrist feels like it's been hit with the Cold Gun. Snart looks equally surprised, pulling his own wrist far away from the speedster's grasp.  
Barry blinks at where his blue blob is supposed to be. The barely formed shape is now a pristine, almost sparkling, snowflake. He looks up to Snart and tries to form a proper response. HE was supposed to help the criminal out with something important? What on EARTH could Barry, the hero of Central City, have to offer Captain Cold, the criminal?  
"Snart," Barry manages the single word but the rest of the sentence is lost in his gaping mouth.  
"If I'm gonna help you," Snart rubs at his own wrist, but keeps his eyes glaring at the hero. "I'll need something in return."  
Could that be what Barry was supposed to help him with? But after the criminal writes out his demand, the hero knows it can't be it.  
"I can't," he tells him simply, still unable to get over the shock enough to form longer sentences.  
"Then I'll think of something," Snart tells him, looks him over carefully, then leaves.

"Everything okay with you, doll face?" the bartender asks after Barry remains standing in the same place for a long time. "That crook Mark you or something?"  
"Or something." Barry nods, finally breaking free of his surprised stupor and grabbing his coat to leave. "Definitely something."

 

No one wants Barry to work with Snart. No one has a better idea though. So when the criminal comes sauntering into STAR Labs, they keep quiet about their complaints as Snart looks The Flash's suit over.  
"I figured out what you can do for me."  
Snart doesn't mention the Mark. Doesn't show Barry what his looks like.  
He just asks the speedster to wipe his name off the face of the planet.  
Barry accepts.

 

Everything seems to be going according to plan...  
...Which is exactly when it stops.  
Snart planned on double crossing Barry all along. He used the opportunity to get a clean slate from the system to go along with another 'evil plan' bearing fruit.  
He does kill Deathbolt before the Metahuman can kill Barry. So at least there's that.

"...I'm a criminal and a liar."  
"But I got Marked by you!" Barry bites out through the pain.  
"Yeah," Snart frowns, pulling on the end of his parka even though Barry already can't see his Mark. "Don't know why that happened, kid." Snart gets to his feet, "But it doesn't change anything."

Barry doesn't know what hurts more: The snowflake on his wrist or where he was hit.

-

Thawne got Barry to go back in time.   
He saw his mother die again.  
His heart burned as it tore itself apart when Barry ran back without saving her.

Then Thawne had his hand on Barry's throat and the world was slowly fading away.  
A shot rang out.  
Eddie shot himself.  
He killed himself.  
To save Barry.

Later, in his room alone, Barry rips his shirt off to look at his friend's name.  
Eddie's name turned black. Barry absently rubs at the blonde detective's name, heart aching at the memory. 

He lost two people in one day.  
His mother again and a good friend.

Barry runs.

-

A giant shark might actually be Barry's final fight. Zoom certainly had his choice in minions. 

One minute he's definitely going to die. The next he isn't. Not that Barry's complaining.  
But who saved him?  
...  
?!#@%?!   
Wells?!  
But he's from another universe. Which makes sense with all the madness that has become Barry's life, but...   
Barry believes him.   
Because after he brought the man to STAR Labs, their hands brushed and Barry got the man's name in big, obvious, slightly obnoxious, black letters on his right forearm.  
"Huh," Wells looks to his own Mark. On the same arm, in the same place, but in jagged red. The scientist with Barry's mother's murderer's face looks up to him with a face of surprise. "That's interesting."

-

"My brother's been kidnapped."  
Barry lowers his coffee cup and stares at Lisa Snart.  
The snowflake Mark itches.

"Snart." Barry stares at the not-so-kidnapped-looking criminal.   
"Barry!" Snart barks back quietly, resuming his walk to a pile of papers.  
"Well, I'm here to rescue you?" Barry doesn't feel anything from the Mark. Maybe it'll react after he saves him?   
"No need." Snart waves him off, picking up some rolled up blue prints.

Lewis comes charging in and Barry has to once again suffer the pain from the Cold Gun.

 

"My brother would never willingly help our father."  
There's a bomb in Lisa's brain.  
Lewis Snart is a piece of work.

Barry goes back to Snart, this time without his costume.  
"These visits are getting old."  
Barry is going to help the criminal whether he wants it or not.

Barry goes along with the robbery. Saves the two guards. Gets passed the security in time.  
And gets shot for all his hard work.  
Great. At least he has his speed to save himself.  
"Sorry, Barry."  
Barry knew the man had good in him.  
Cold-Hearted criminals can't fake that much sincerity.

 

"Lisa's safe," Barry tells him after Caitlin shares the good news. The Captain's shoulders sag in relief and the speedster thinks, 'This must be it. THIS was what I was going to help him with.'  
Then the older Snart turns to his son and the Captain lives up to his name.

"Lisa was safe." Barry says after he's take the man's gun away. "Why did you do that?"  
"He broke my sister's heart," Snart looks up at him with a lot of emotion he probably wishes he wasn't showing. "Only fair I break his."  
Maybe Barry wasn't done helping the man out just yet...

**Author's Note:**

> The above piece, that you just read, occurred while I was writing another story.   
> It's...Well, I don't really know "what" it is exactly? But instead of pushing it out of my mind, I decided to write it down and post it. (Because I never know what might interest another person.)
> 
> *Disclaimer: I do NOT own "The Flash" or the affiliated Characters....etc...


End file.
